Smart Strip Surge Protectors

Every once in a while, I’ll have one of those “wait – I haven’t blogged about that yet?” moments, and it just so happens that one of these epiphanies hit me only a couple of minutes ago. In all my research and writing about energy-conserving products, one topic that keeps popping up is Vampire Electronics. Ever heard of them? They’re the electronic devices (usually peripherals) that keep right on consuming power even when they’re technically “off.” Case in point: cofee makers with digital displays, computer printers, DVD players, you name it. Any machine or gadget that has an always-running digital display or LED indicator light qualifies as a vampire electronic, and these deceptively benign-looking rascals really know how to run up a utility bill.

With vampire electronics, up to 40% of the total power drawn can be consumed while they’re inactive, so it goes to reason that if you cut the flow of electricity during their respective downtimes, they won’t be such a drain on your wallet. Yet somehow, the thought of making daily unplug rounds seems a tad unreasonable. Here’s how to take care of the power-cutting dirty work in your home or office without ever giving it a second thought: get a Smart Strip Power-Saving Surge Protector.

They don’t call it “smart” for nothing. The Smart Strip takes care of all of the standard surge protector responsibilities (like diverting excess current from power surges away from your sensitive electronics), but also has a “brain” of sorts that knows when to shut things down. It works like this: on each Smart Strip, there are two types of outlets: primary (blue) and secondary (red). Remember how I mentioned before that many vampire electronics are peripherals, which act as accessories to bigger devices? You just plug the main event (like a computer of television) into the primary outlet, then use the secondary outlets to power peripherals like scanners, printers, DVD players, and gaming systems. The magic happens when you turn your computer or TV off; as soon as that happens, the Smart Strip senses that the peripherals attached to it no longer need to be running, and automatically cuts power to them. When you decide to fire things up again later, the Smart Strip will instantly restore power where it’s needed. That’s what I’m talking about.

But what do you if you want to leave certain devices on all the time, without worrying about them being shut off? No problem. The Smart Strip also has a few standard, non-switched outlets for 24/7 electrical needs.